c
TUE UITORY OF ORrioN 'S LNt GItANT COLLEGE
15O-1892
Helen
March
l9
1958
The History of (regon's Land Grant College
1850-1892
The institution th .t we know a Oren State College had its
inception in the dreams ol' the early sett.lers tn the territory, a
vision of higher education for their children and their children's
children. The story of their strugio Is an Inspiring oae for those
of us who proudly view their 1egac today.
That the pioneer legislators were inteieeted in hiher educatIon
is evinced by the fact that at th secrd session of the Legisl.tive
Assembly, Jan. 1, l5l, Ir. 'eyin.re introduced Co'..tncll Ei.l o. 23
entitled "An act to accept the lands donated for the purpose of the
Thj was in accord with the Donation
endowment of a Untverit
Act of Sept. 27, 1850, jr which the Federal Oovernaent iade a grant
for use and auport of a State University of two townships,
1 the
'0regon City Claims" bequeathed by Dr. Jorn McLcugzlln. This h 11
was u ntcrus1y ado?ted Feb. 6, 1351. 2
At the third sess'
16, 1852, further action was taken when "A bill to create the office
of Commissioner to sell arid ecatrol the lands donated by C rress
to the Territory o Oregon for the endowment of a university and
1Oregon, State of, Journal of the Council of the Territory of Oregon
during the Seaor Reu1ar Sesai. ri of the legislative Assembly
....Dec. 2, 1850. Oregon City, Asahg11Iuh, 1551, p. 6.
p. 113
2
defining his duties..." ws passed.3 At the subsequent sessions,
The
Assembly voted to acquire land in Narysviile, as Corv'allis was then
known, for a university, and the property where Snell Hall now stands
was chosen. However, the 1855 AsSezflblv voted to move the State Capitol
to Corva11i froui Salem, and the University to acksorivtl1e.
Hr. N.
Huber, University Lnc1 Coiunjssjoner, tell s in ht report of going to
Corvallis and selling the tiuber brick and stone that had been
delivered preparatory to iilding, and of receing $lz1,00 for the
Again tLe State Capitol was iovod, back to Salem. and
mateia1s.
the 'ne building erected t Jacksonville for the oollee was later
converted to th County Courthouse.
When Oreron became a State on Feb. lLi., 1859 by Act. of Conress,
the seoond pronosition put to the people for acceptance .rovided
that "Seventy two sections of land for the use and su...port of the
State University, to he selected by the Governor ad disposed b the
le4slature" be approved.5 Then with the passaze of the kirriU
Act, signed by President Lincoln July 2, 1862, )rcm beceac entitled
to 30,000 acres of land for every Representative in Congress. or a
total of 90,000 acres, for the est.ablish.ent of a university.
Meaiwhile, the tospeopie of Corvallis, deprived of their
anticipated state cO.floe in iE55, established their own acadcV
in 1856, with John Wesley Johflson of Yale as principal, who later
1 o the T i r Z 0
C
o
3 Oregon, State of, J
A
U.
o
ar
during the Thjrd
....Dec. 1, 1951. Oregon City, Aaahel Bush, 1852, p. 65.
' Hu:er,
.,
University Land Commissioner of Oregon, Reiort, 8 p.
leaflet. Asahel Bush, Salem, Oregon, 1856.
5 United $tates Statutes at u, 11:385.
3
became the first president of the University of Oregon. In 1858,
the Acade' was incorporated as Cor,allis College0 graduating in
that year a class of threes J.K.F. Currin, Robert M, Veatch, arid
Alice Btd'fl.e6
In the fifties and sixties, trere wa great interest on the
part of the various church denominations in etabliahing colleges
to strengthen the religious beliefs of their young people, and in
1865, the Methodist Epicopa1 Church South took over control of
Corvallis College, wIth Wiltam A. Finle'r a its first president
, W, W. Moreland wa made principal of
under the new regime In ]
the preparatory school in connection with tfe ciIee, and it was
thanks to his alertness that the tIi-e for acceptng the Morrill Act
benefits did not expire.1 In his 1&i essage to th Legislature,
Gov. Gibbs had a-nounced that "1 cons1sr it. a paramount importance
to select lands for benefit of the corion schcols...TherefOre. no
lands have yet been selected for the benefit of the agricultural
college."6 Because of his feeling, Oron had been tardy in taking
action.
N. John 0. Flook introduced House Resolution. No. 25,
tch was
the first act of the Legislature anticipating an a'riculturl. college,
arid it was passed Sept. 1268. The eciimittee approached
Uamette
University to determine if it were willing to accept the terms of the
Morrifl Act with respect to the required courses, which it agreed to
6
Gearhart, Dick, ed., The Orange and Black,, Oregon State College Alumni
Corvallis, Orei:on, l7i8, p. 11.
7 Ibid., p. l3-l.
8 Young, F. 0,. "Financial Hjstory of the State of Oregon," The 0reon
1, lO:37L1.-5, December, l90, p. 375.
B .t.i
include, were it chosen. Ilany other private colleges were eager to
receive the forthcomIng largesse, also, bit Mr. Flook tells how the
decision Wi8 finally made:
Senator C. B. Bellinger of Benton County, who later
U.S. District Judge in Portland, had a
laudable desire to confer a favor on his own country.
beca
Being of the zajority party, he experienced 1 tUe
trouble in 8triking out the vords "Wiilainette
University" and inserting "CorvaUs College. "9
This bill took effect on Oct. 27, i86? n1 Tnark the birthday of
Oregon State College.
These fora1It1es hvin been aceotp1shed, three comzissicoers
were appointed to loe:te the lands, the proceeds from the sale of
whicb weu' I cr'ate
ri irc ucil'L lund for the uort cf to state
college. And funds would he nei- imedite.ly, as a legislative
act also provided that each state. senator 'otx1d be empowered to appoint
oe student wo would reculv free tuitior for two years, a urn
aontthg to $11.25 payable cuartrly. (There were no miri.ui entrance
requirernonts I)
r.
Carey ha stated the financial situation clearly:
The funds so advanced were t be repai4 from the
first interest accrui..ng upon the collage land
funds. Instead of using the golden opçortunity
to acquire valuable t ber lands which wodd in
tjiie be worth millions of money for t fund,
the land coniaeioners proptly proceeded to
),O7 acres, mostly in Lake County, which
looat
was then re.ote frooi the settlements, about
10,000 acres subsequently proving to be w1t in
the limits of the Kiamath Indian reservation.
The Lake County lands .tound no market for a ttrn
and could never he expected to have great money
value
9
HOmer, John B., "History of Oregon State College, lB6-l9O7,"
Oreo is o a1 a t
, 3l:4.2-5O, passi.
10 Carey, Charles Hcnry, jjstory of OretQfl. ChicagoPortland, Pioneer
atorical Publishing Co., cl922, pp. 738739.
5
Although there was I i.ttle money with which to operate, at least
the college was a going concern. During the school year 1869-70,
there were thirty-one trustees, two professcrs, axid twenty college
students, besides one hundred and one children in the preparatory
school.
It was fully co-educational, witi. fees ranging from $10 to
$15 per tGri.
'rent Finley coritioued a hea3 Cf tL: institution
until Aay 4, i372 when he was succeeded b - Dr. B. L. Arnolzi, who was
to serve the aricuItural collecre faithfully for twenty years,1
'hen Dr. Arnold assue1 the presidencr. the strug1ing institution
wa s reat.y in debt, with no noney ana few resources. On Oct. 1, 1672
the Igislature aprropriatd $5,000, but t was too late n the year
to
do nnich
t.n to fuifU the letter of the crr1 Act:
to
teach such bra:chs of luarnth as iro rcatd to agricuLture and the
mechanic arts. Two goner:1 deprtzents were set up: the Literary
eRr't4uent,
of Jodern Lan
ch £nclude the School of
ncitnt La:uaj, School
and the School of History an3 Literature; and
tho cisntific Departmert, which included the School of Matherattcs,
te School of Practical Jechanics arid Teohnoloç, the School of
gineering. the School of Physca1 Scerees, n1 te School of ora1
Science.
During the first two :rears. there were forty-four youn men "of
fine muscle and brinft, and since any youth of sixteen was e1tib1e
for entrance, scre had to be taught to read, others to do si:
arithmetic, before they could proceed with college work, Dr. Arnold
himself taught Chemistry, Cheical Physics, Natural Philosophy,
iorne
p
6
Biology and Agricultural farming, also Political Economy, Social
Science, Logic, Ethics, Philosophy, Latin, Greek, German arid English
Grammar.
He normally had eight recitations a day, six days a week. 12
Mr. Boswell of the Military Department had three major obstacles
to overcoie, in that there was no suitable room for drilling; there
were no books on military science and tactics in the city; and that
since most of the boys were farmers' sons, they went home on good
days to help with planting or harvesting when the weather was best
for drilling.23
Included in this first biennial report is the treasurer's report,
signed by A. Cauthorn, in which he reports an income of $8333.31
from the State of Oregon in warrants, of which President Arnold
received $3,000 for salary for two years)4
During the second biennium of the college, a coxittee was sent
to Corvallis by the Oregon State Senate to see what progress was
being made.
Mr. J. S, Palmer, chairman, was enthusiastic about "the
splendid new building, worth not less than $10,000 fitted out with
chemical apparatus worth
$5co. 00.
n15
Furthermore, upon his return to
Salem, he recommended that $1000 in addition to the budgeted $5000
be given to President Arnold for the purchase of a library.
l2tFirstlBienriial Report of the State Aricultura1 Co1lee (1872-74),
Salem, Orezon, Martin V. Brown, 1874, passim.
13
Ibid.,
assim.
14 Ibid., passim
15CSeconcU Biennial Report of the State AEricultural Colle
Salem, Oregon, Martin V. Brown, 1876, IDassin.
(1874-76),
7
The college continued
to flourish, with additional faculty members
added, departments expanded, and additional land acquired.
And once
again, the Congress of the United States was to benefit the fledgling
Land Grant Colleges in the country.
Several had set up agricultural
experiment stations, and the Comnittee on Agriculture of the House
of Representatives reported favorably on the Hatch Bill, saying that
"a very large number of the colleges established under the Act of
1862 are doing important work of precisely similar kind."
adopted in 1887, "granted
The bifl,
l5,oO0 to each state and territory for
support of experiment stations 'to conduct original research....
bearing
directly on the
agricultural industry of the United States. iu16
On Jan. 31, 1889, the Oregon Legislature authorized the
purchase of a
By
200 acre tract for a model farm for Oregon Agricultural College.
1890, the number of students enrolled bad reached a total of 152,
composed of 105 men and 47 women, and the annual budget had been
increased to
33,48O.
President Arnold had, indeed, been an efficient
admistrator and. a far-seeing educator, a man beloved by his students
and respected by
officicals
of Oregon.
His death in 1892 brought
forth tribute from W. S. Ladd, President of the Board of Regents
of Oregon Agricultural College:
"To the high character and thorough
scholarship of this gentleman, the college owes much.
His rule was
just, kind and courteous, his habits those of constant industry and
conscientiousness.
The extent and depth of his influence over Lis
16 Englund, Eric, "Agricultural Experiment Stations," Encyclopedia.
of the Social Sciences, ed. by E.R.A. Seligman. New York,
Macmillan, o1930. Vol. 1, p. 52+3.
ricultural CoUee, (1888-90),
Biennial Report of the State
Frank Baker, Salem, Oregon, 1890, passim.
8
students
were only demonstratet by his unexpected death in January,
1892. 18
After the demise of President Arnold, the Board of Regents chose
John M. Bioss of the Topeka Public Schools to succeed him, and he took
over his duties in Nay 1892.
With his advent, the curtain was rung
down on the first period of growth of Oregon Agricultural College,
forty yaxs of trial and error, in the new field of public higher
education.
To the pioneer legislators and civic minded citizens we
owe much, and their courage should be an example to modern Oreronians,
faced with educational problems that loom large, but surely no larger
than those of former years in the nineteenth century.
In re-appraising the legal basXs of the present Oregon State
College, it is interesting to note that is has no single charter,
but rather six basic documents whIch together make it the unique
institution that it is.
Let us consider them.
The iiorril Act, signed by President Lincoln July 2, 1862,
No. 1.
is the basic charter for all Land Grant Colleges.
The Legislative action taken by Oregon in accepting the
No. 2.
provisions of the Morrill Act on Aug. 9, 1862 is the second document.
Articles
No. 3.
Incorporation signed on Aug. 22, 1868 had
had its object the acquisition and holding of property in trust for
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the building up and maintaining
an institution for educational purposes.
The name Corvallis College
was given to this institution.
No. L
The Legislative Act, approved Oct. 27, 1868, provided for a
18 Ibid
(TenthJl892., pasim.
9
Board of Commissioners to locate all lands to which the state might
be entitled
through the Morrill Act, and to take
for establishing a Lard Grant College.
the necessary steps
This date marks the beginning
of state supported higher education and the founding of Oregon Agricultural College.
No.
5.
ThIs is a confirmation of document No. 4, locating the college
at Corvallis and signed by Governor L. F. Grover.
No.
6.
A Legislative
approved Feb. II, 1885 setting the permanent
location of the college in Corvallis, providing for a Board of Regents,
and asking the citizens of Corvallis to erect a
known as Agricultural College Farm is the
final
$25,000
building to be
document of authorization.'9
A graphic presentation of its growth since 1887 is contained in
the following paragraph:
The 35 acre campus and its one building of 187
has grown to a main central campus of approximately 4,000 acres. The campus proper includes
80 building chiefly of brick orone. Many
temporary buildings are in use until additional
permanent ones can be provided. For the use of
the agricultural experimental station, including
eight branch stations, 24,000 acres are utilized,
most of which is owned by the counties or the
federal government. The Peavey Arboretum and
other tracts o the school of forestry
13,300 acres.2
total
Oh, Pioneers!
Would that you could see the reality that your dream
has becom&
19
"The Charter of Oregon Ste College." Oregon State Bulletin,
No. 21, October 1951. 47. pamphlet with facsimiles.
20 "Founding of Oregcn Agricultural College," Champoe
Champoeg, Oregon, March 1958, p.2.
Pioneer,
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Biennial Reports of the State Aricu1tural
V. Brown, Salem, Oregon
Iartin
Colleee (1874-92).
Carey, Charles Henry. Historv of Oregon. Chicago.-Portland,
Pioneer Historical Publishing Company, c 1922.
"The Charter of Oregon State College." Oregon State College
Biii1tin, No. 21, October 1951. 47p. paiu. with facsimiles.
Englund, Eric. "Agricultural Experiment Stations," Encyclopedia
of the Social Sciences. Edited by E.R.A. Seligman. New
York, Macmillan Company, c1930. Vol. 1, pp.542-543.
"Founding of Oregon
Agricultural College," Champoe
Champoeg, Oregon, March 1958, pp. 1-2.
Pioneer,
Gearhart, Dick, Editor. The Orange and the Black. Oregon
State College Aluini Assoc., Corvallis, Oregon, cl938.
Horrier, John B.
1907."
"History of the Oron State College, 1865The Oregon Historical Quarterly, 31:42-50, Iarch
Huber, N. Report. (University Land Conunission of Oregon.)
Asahel Bush, Salem, Oregon, 1856.
(8 p. leaflet)
Journal of the Council of the Territory of Oregon dur5.ng the
Dec. 2, 1850. Oregon City,
Second Regular Session
Asahel Bush, 1851.
during the Third Regular Session, held at Salem,
Journal
Dec. 1, 1951. Oregon City, Asahel Bush, 1952.
United States Statutes at Large,
Young, F. G.
Oregon
U:385.
"Financial History of the State of Oregon."
Historical Quarterly, 10:37247, December, 1909.
1930.